Improvement in brick-kilns



NITED STATES ATEN'I Fm IMPRQVEMENT IN BRICK-KILNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 162,818, dated May 4,1875; application filed January 30, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NAPOLEON B. HEAFER, ofBloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and valuable Improvement in Brick-Kiln; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification,which represents a horizontal vertical section of a brickkiln with myinvention shown.

This invention has relation to the burning of bricks; and it consists inthe combination in a brick-kiln of a layer of coarse bituminous coal,and a superimposed layer of fine coal or slack to form a bed orfoundation of the kiln, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

I excavate the earth or original kiln-ground to about one foot in-depth,and fill the excavation to within about two inches of the top withbituminous coal just as it comes from the mine. The excavation is thencompletely filled with common slack coal, and leveled so as to leave asmooth surface on which to build the kiln.

After the kiln is built fire is put into it in the usual waythat is tosay, wood is introduced into the arches from both ends, so as to leave alayer of wood from end to end thereof. Fire is then kindled in themouths of both ends of the arches, which will work its way to the middlethereof, by which time the coal-bed will commence to do its work, andthrow off highly-heated gases, which will be burned by the wood-flames.It requires but little labor to attend the burning of a kiln in thisWay, and comparatively little wood.

As the gas is not fully extracted from the coal at a single burning, Irepeat the process. The second kiln being removed, there is left a largebed of coke, which I disintegrate and employ it as a substitute foranthracite or (hard) slack coal, for mixing with the clay of which thebricks are made, to facilitate the burning.

Instead of excavating the kiln-ground, a

very good bed can be formed by forming banks of earth and filling up, asabove described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, in a brick-kiln, of a layer of coarse bituminous coaland a superimposed layer of fine coal or slack, to form a bed orfoundation for the kiln, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

NAPOLEON B. HEAFER.

Witnesses:

0. H. BLODGETT, JNo. D. FowLE.

